Small Box, Big Moment

Volunteers pitch in to help B'ezri pack birthday gifts for almanos

Every year, B'ezri's Keren Almanos marks something simple but extremely meaningful for hundreds of women in the program: their birthdays.
Each almana - 850 across Israel - receives a gift on her birthday, a carefully chosen item that lets her know she is remembered, valued, and not alone. The gift changes annually and previous items have included jewelry, luxurious towels, a Shabbos lamps and elegant Shabbos tablecloths. This year’s gift is a beautiful macaron-filled, lidded acrylic cake holder, and as always, the almanos’ responses have been overwhelming.

"I wanted to thank you for the heartwarming gift! Thank you for making the world a less lonely place. Because of you, even in the darkest moments, there is someone who turns on the light and holds a hand.
Continue spreading hope and comfort."

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for remembering my birthday and for the beautiful gift you sent me. It truly touched my heart. The Shabbat table is very meaningful to me, and receiving a gift that honors and beautifies it was especially touching. Thank you for the thoughtfulness and care behind it."

"You warmed my heart with the incredibly sweet birthday gift and letter! It came just when I was feeling down and it brought me comfort."

Reactions like these are a constant reflection of the love, care and impact of this project. But the gifts don't pack themselves. Recently a group of volunteers came to the B'ezri office to help box and prepare the shipments, which are sent by courier straight to each woman's home. Our volunteers generously donate their time so that the recipients can open their front door to a surprise that often transforms their whole day: "When your gift arrived I felt it all over again - that someone sees me, that I'm not forgotten. It made the day so much better, so much happier for me."

Birthday gifts are just one cog in the machine that is the Keren Almanos. In addition to the individually tailored monthly stipend each woman receives, help is also available for holiday expenses and the summer. Women can receive assistance for a child's wedding, or, G-d forbid, an urgent need she didn't see coming. Our coordinators are also happy to lend an ear, available when the women just want someone to talk to. Behind the program title is a relationship - a real address almanos can turn to when something comes up. They know that B'ezri is there, not only once a month but whenever life asks more of them than they can handle alone.

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